Three Rings

Three Rings by Daniel Mendelsohn is a profound and genre-defying exploration that intricately interlaces memoir, biography, history, and literary criticism. It presents a contemplative journey into the interconnected lives and creative crises of three exiled writers who sought refuge in the classical works of the past to craft their own masterpieces. Through their stories, Mendelsohn ponders the nature of narrative itself and the mysterious links between the haphazard events of our lives and the structured art of storytelling.

This compelling book draws together the extraordinary tales of Erich Auerbach, a Jewish philologist who escaped Hitler's Germany and wrote his seminal work, Mimesis, while in Istanbul; François Fénelon, a 17th-century French archbishop whose imaginative continuation of the Odyssey, The Adventures of Telemachus, was a veiled critique of Louis XIV and became the best-selling book in Europe for a century, resulting in his banishment; and W.G. Sebald, a German novelist self-exiled to England, known for his meandering narratives that delve into Odyssean themes of displacement, nostalgia, and separation from homes.

Interwoven with these tales is the poignant account of Mendelsohn's own struggles in crafting two of his books: a Holocaust family saga and a memoir recounting the experience of reading the Odyssey with his elderly father. Both projects are shadowed by stories of oppression and wandering, echoing the thematic undercurrents of his exiled literary subjects.

As Three Rings progresses towards its astonishing climax, Mendelsohn unveils a revelation that highlights the intricate connections between the lives of Auerbach, Fénelon, and Sebald across different borders, languages, and centuries. This climactic insight prompts readers to rethink how narrative and history, art and life, are interwoven inextricably.

Winner of the 2020 Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger, France's award for the best foreign book of the year, Three Rings has been heralded for its intellectual depth and narrative beauty. Hailed as "astounding" by Sebastian Barry, "a masterpiece" by Ayad Akhtar, and "ruminative, humane, and gorgeously precise" by Jonathan Lethem, this book is a testament to Mendelsohn's unparalleled ability to weave complex ideas into a spellbinding narrative.

Ideal for lovers of literature, history, and memoir, Three Rings is a masterful reflection on exile, creativity, and the eternal resonance of classical works. Mendelsohn’s eloquent prose and insightful commentary invite readers to explore the profound connections between personal journeys and the timeless stories that shape our understanding of the world.